Rare Mughal Dagger

[Jens Nordlunde]

Kundan is a very interesting subject, but few collectors know much about what it is. Some of the reasons could be, that good kundan work is rare, and so very expensive. Another reason could be, that on many of the hilts with gold and gems all of value have been removed and sold seperately.

I recently found somethingg interesting about kundan.
In Treasurers of the World. Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals. The Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum, the authors Manuel Keene and Salam Kaoukji on page 18 writes about the varieties in stone settings.
It says that kundan was invented, '...Probably in the centuries immediately preceding the birth of Christ...'
I never knew that the technique was that old – did you?


'Kundan, or hyper-purified gold, is beaten into narrow strips of foil and refined to the point at which it becomes ‘tacky’ to room temperature. At this degree of purity, it can actually form a molecular bond when pressure is applied to it by means of steel tools, which are first used to press the foil down around the stones, then to cut, shape and burnish it into any form that the artist may wish.... It can even be used on ivory and wood... There is no evidence that this technique was ever practised anywhere except in India.'
It is most interesting to read that the gold can form a molecular bond with several materials, as no glue would be needed to keep the gold in place, and the soft gold could easily be hammered down around the gem.
Alex, the hilt to the right in post 10 is not a horse, althought it could look like the head of a horse, it is a nilgai - notice the small horns.

[Battara]

Jens I read that too in that catalogue, but don't now anything more about kundan technique.

[Jens Nordlunde]

If I have to be honest - I dont have a clue either. Strange how many people know what the technique means, but very few know how it is done.

Have a look here.
http://www.gemologyonline.com/Forum/...pic.php?t=1754

I just saw this.
http://blog.mirraw.com/2012/09/18/wh...undan-jewelry/

So there seem to be different oppinions of how it was done.

[Battara]

After reading both, I lean towards the first one. Makes more sense, although I have a rough time believing that some amount of heat is not needed.

[Jens Nordlunde]

Yes, I too believe more in the first version.
My mothers sisters could, like my mother, do anything they wanted with their hands, as they were all very gifted. One painted porcelain, and I remember at one time, that I saw her guild the edge of a plate. She took a piece of very fine gold foil, 'blowing in the wind so to say', cut it to the right size, put it on the edge and burnished it with an agate stone – and is was as if it had been nailed to the plate – well nailed and nailed, but I think you know what I mean. It became part of the porcelain, and she said that it would not go away unless it was worn off.
As an afterthought, I have been wondering why I did not think of this before, but it was maybe sixty years or more ago. Menory is sometimes a funny thing.

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Alex, the hilt to the right in post 10 is not a horse, althought it could look like the head of a horse, it is a nilgai - notice the small horns.

Jens, these are not horns, these are true inward-turned ears: a specific feature of the so-called Marwari horse.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by ariel

Jens, these are not horns, these are true inward-turned ears: a specific feature of the so-called Marwari horse.

The Met has been known to be wrong from time to time when describing items in their collection, this one seems to be described correctly, besides the ears you can see a pair of horns.

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/...&tabname=label

Dagger with Hilt in the Form of a Blue Bull (Nilgai)

Object Name: Dagger
Date: ca. 1640
Geography: India
Culture: Islamic
Medium: Hilt: Nephrite Blade: Watered steel
Dimensions: H. 15 in. (38.1 cm)
Classification: Stone
Credit Line: Gift of Alice Heeramaneck, in memory of Nasli Heeramaneck, 1985
Accession Number: 1985.58a, b

On view in Gallery 463

The weaponry produced at the Mughal court reflects the same refinement as other portable arts. Daggers such as this one were sometimes awarded to officers who had distinguished themselves in military victory and were worn at court as dress accessories indicating royal favor. Animal-headed hilts were especially favored, and the realism of their rendering conveys the keen appreciation for nature by Mughal artists.
On this dagger, the hilt portrays a nilgai, or blue bull, one of the most beautiful animals found in India, and terminates at the base with a leafy scroll and lotus flower. Carved from a bluish-green nephrite that approximates the color of the animal, this hilt not only demonstrates the artist's thorough mastery of hard-stone carving, but also displays a level of accuracy and sensitivity that suggest close observation of a model, perhaps one of the captive animals kept in the imperial zoo.

High resolution image.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...4ab58015ac.jpg